


Cat's Cradle

by LunarSearchlight



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, non massacre au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:07:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25921810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunarSearchlight/pseuds/LunarSearchlight
Summary: She reminded him of a mouse; he mused, as he glanced down at the small slip of a girl who trembled under his gaze. He reminded her of a cat; she mused, as she cautiously peered at his tall looming form. It was a known fact that mice had short lives, especially in the presence of big cats.
Relationships: Hyuuga Hinata/Uchiha Itachi
Comments: 8
Kudos: 58





	1. Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.  
> I edited this chapter just a bit if my old readers notice, but I hope everyone, new and old, like it just the same!

He finally had some time off, in the midst of ANBU missions that seemed to imitate a never ending flood. He now had solitude to entertain his next course of action and contemplate all that was to being a true shinobi. But first, it was time to see his precious _otouto._

Once he reached the academy, he leaned against the tree behind where the parents gathered as a crowd of children came bursting out of the doors. As he scanned the crowd, he spotted his little brother’s black head and saw his signature spiky hair, and his heart warmed slightly.

Sasuke seemed to have spotted him too, as his eyes comically widened and he wrenched himself away from a gaggle of girls that seemed to surround him in an ambush as he got out of the building, no doubt screaming their love for him. _Ah, fangirls._ Itachi had never been less envious than he was now as he watched Sasuke wrestle himself out to run to him.

“Nii-san! I didn’t know you were coming to get me!” Sasuke exclaimed, trying to act nonchalant but his voice and bright eyes seeming to give him away.

“Ah, I have a free day off, so I thought I’d spend it with you.” Itachi stated, then, taking a glimpse to the girls that still seemed to be there, with even larger hearts in their eyes and a collective sigh when he made eye contact, he ushered Sasuke away.

Sasuke looked to where Itachi was looking and he gagged as he saw those terrible clingy creatures that were the female species. “Ew, girls! They’re so annoying, and they never leave me alone. Let’s quickly go home nii-san!”

“Now, now Sasuke, you know mother wouldn’t like it if you were rude to you classmates, like she always says ‘treat people with kindness-’” Itachi said, as he looked down at his younger brother.

“‘…to receive your just rewards.’ Yeah, yeah, I know that, but they need to be kind to me too.” Sasuke pouted, crossing his arms and kicking a nearby stone. Itachi inwardly agreed. Then Sasuke’s entire mood seemed to lift. “Oh wait, nii-san, does it mean you’ll train with me today?”

“Yes, _otouto_. Have you got all your things?”

“I think so! Let me check.” As Sasuke rummaged around his back pack, Itachi scanned his surroundings, taking in the sudden movement from behind a tree.

There, peeking her little head out from it, was a girl Sasuke’s age that had a little blush on her face as she looked intently at them. Clearly, she was a Hyuuga with her eyes, but more than that she seemed to be the renowned weak heiress of Hiashi Hyuuga.

 _Hinata Hyuuga, I’m sure I’ve seen her at the noble clan gatherings._ But perhaps she wasn’t looking at them, as following her line of sight he saw her flushing at a blond boy who was writing something in the ground with a stick. _Looks like the Hyuuga heiress has a crush._ He could only be relieved that it wasn’t Sasuke, as he would surely be irritated and could potentially ruin their tentative relations with their rival clan.

Itachi looked back to his brother as he heard him try to get his attention.

“Hey, nii-san! I’ve checked and I have everything, so can we go train now?” Sasuke was pleading now, and as much as Itachi thought it was cute, he couldn’t condone such an action that was unfitting for a member of the Uchiha clan.

“Don’t whine Sasuke, and we’ll go after dinner, otherwise mother won’t be happy with us.” With that, Itachi led the way home so the Uchiha brothers could spend a rare evening together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed and please leave a comment if you wish!


	2. Routine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First, thank you all for reading and dropping a review, follow or favourite! I really appreciate it. Now without further ado, on with the story~  
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Naruto

“Hinata.” She froze at the sound of her father’s voice, the tone glinting like the underside of a shrouded blade. She slowly turned around, eyes still focused on the floor as she followed him to his study. She only briefly looked up for his nod for her to sit seiza style down opposite him.

“I’m sure you know what this is about Hinata.” Hiashi’s voice, although montone and steady, seemed to shatter the illusory calm in the room as it reverberated against the walls. Hinata flinched, because it could only be for _one reason._

Hiashi stared at his daughter, displeasure leaking from his aura, yet his expression giving nothing away. Being clan leader was always the priority in his life, no exceptions, regardless of familial ties. “You have yet to improve, to rise to the expectations that our lineage dictates. Your younger sister is showing much promise and your older cousin is flourishing as a genius, but there can be no such claims on your part. If you do not get stronger soon, your birthright will be in jeopardy.”

“Y-yes, father, I understand.” Hinata shook as her father gracefully rose from his position and glided through the doors. She knew she needed to get stronger, but Hanabi and Neji had both supported and encouraged her in their own ways, and even Uncle Hizashi had noticed her marked improvement. So why couldn’t she get the recognition from the person she wanted it most from?

As she got out of the study, she came face to face with Hanabi, who looked imploringly up at her with her pure white Hyuuga eyes. _I’ve even failed in that respect,_ Hinata uncharacteristically thought bitterly, well aware of the unique lavender sheen her eyes had.

“Onee-chan, are you okay? You look a bit sad. Was it something father said?” Hanabi’s voice softly uttered, with all the innocence of a child’s heart but the firm stance of a shinobi. Hinata’s thoughts soothed and she gazed at her younger sister with a tender expression as she replied, “I-I’m fine, Hanabi-chan, d-don’t worry. S-should we get breakfast n-now?”

Hanabi beamed up at her and grasped her hand excitedly as she tugged her older sister towards the breakfast room, and Hinata felt calm, as her little sister chattered about her plans whilst she listened and ate. Abruptly, the shoji screen doors opened, and as Hinata silently scolded herself for not being more aware of her surroundings, Neji entered followed by his father. His expression seemed to brighten as he saw her and he nearly ran towards her, before his father placed a hand on his shoulder to gently shake his head. Instead, Neji slowly approached the table and greeted her and Hanabi.

Hinata immediately stood up, followed by a clumsy Hanabi, as she bowed her head low and stated, “Good morning Neji-niisan, Uncle Hizashi.” But she could not keep the infused joy out of her voice as she did so. Hanabi followed suit, and the other new occupant of the room regarded her with warm eyes. Hizashi was the identical twin of Hiashi, and although they had the same height and build, his eyes were more soft and instead of the frown lines developing on the Hyuuga Clan Head’s forehead and between his eyes, this brother had developing crow’s feet around his eyes. This sign of his more light-hearted nature ironically seemed to make him freer even with the contradiction of his Branch seal stamped on his forehead, as his brother who wasn’t physically caged, was mentally so, with all the burdens that came with running a clan.

“Hinata-sama, Hanabi-sama, I hope you are both having a pleasant breakfast.” As Hizashi gazed at his two nieces he contemplated Hinata’s gentle nature and Hanabi’s innocent passion. _No doubt the cold hard world of the shinobi will crush that purity out of them. But for now, I will do my best to protect my family._ He let out a ghost of a smile as his eldest niece bowed and stuttered as she vehemently insisted to drop the honorifics.

Neji interrupted Hinata’s tirade as he turned towards her, eyes gleaming with anticipation. “Hinata-sama, after breakfast, do you want to go train?” Hinata murmured an affirmative as Hanabi also chimed in her agreement. So, after the two sisters had finished, the four of them set out towards the training grounds.

* * *

It was a successfully completed Anbu mission with no casualties, yet Itachi got the distinct impression that there was more to come as he and his team members flew through the tree tops. He subtly activated his Sharingan, and he felt rather than saw his teammates tense into a relaxed battle stance as they noticed, subtle enough that anyone outside of the team wouldn’t notice. There, on the edge of his peripheral vision was a sliver of chakra located ahead, nestled silently on the highest branch of the tree it occupied.

Itachi turned towards his teammates, the closest being Hen, and stated nonchalantly, “Do you want to take a quick **rest** before we reach Konoha?” Rest: code word for enemy ninja. Hen glanced back at him with his intent brown eyes and nodded, and that was the que for Itachi to create a genjutsu to make it seem like his team had stopped and descended to the ground. 

The enemy ninja seemed to take the bait and stopped behind the genjutsu version of Itachi, holding a kunai to his neck. The real Itachi got behind the missing-nin and held a kunai to his neck, with his real teammates surrounding him with their own weapons. The missing-nin was of medium height, with a rugged face to match his rugged brown hair and wild eyes. Itachi towered over him and if the missing-nin was in the slightest intimidating, it paled in comparison to the man standing behind him.

Itachi dispelled the genjutsu and the missing-nin startled and then started to scowl as he finally understood his predicament. “How the hell did you know I was there? I concealed all my chakra and I didn’t even look at your Sharingan!” He was careful not to jostle around too much, lest his life end via Itachi’s kunai.

Goat snorted from beside Itachi, as he coldly said, “You did look at his Sharingan you fool. For the split second you did, Itachi made the genjutsu to make it look like his eyes were normal and then tricked you so you would be trapped. Ha, you shouldn’t expect any less from the genius of the Uchiha Clan.” Itachi gave his teammate a fleeting look, and Goat gulped and became quiet as he recognised the quiet threat in his eyes. The missing-nin’s eyes didn’t widen, nor did he shrink back in fear, and Itachi’s suspicions grew. Itachi quickly knocked the missing-nin out, as from the enemy ninja’s mere two sentences and his lack of a reaction, he had discovered a great clue.

Hen voiced Itachi’s thoughts aloud as he softly whispered from Itachi’s other side, in a voice so quiet no one else would hear but Itachi himself. “We’re Anbu and have our masks on, how would he know that we have a Sharingan user in our team? And he also knew which mask you were hiding behind, almost as if-”

... _he knew our identities._ Itachi finished in his thoughts, and that was precisely the peculiar reason why he had knocked out the missing-nin instead of disposing him on sight like standard protocol dictated.

As the team resumed their trek with their extra baggage, Itachi’s thoughts were overwhelmed with another detail that seemed to tug at memories from long ago. Dragging his gaze back down at the man hauled over his shoulder, he stared at the man’s legs.

There, glinting orange with the setting sun and peeping out of his pants pocket, was an unmistakeable forehead protector, displaying to all the shinobi’s former allegiance.

He was a missing-nin from Kumogakure.1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! All will be explained to why certain characters are still alive and why certain characters are not in their angry, angst-ridden phases with fate.  
> Kumogakure 1-Hidden Cloud Village


	3. Coincidences

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, reviewing and any follows and favourites! Also, this all happens on the same day as Chapter 2 events, so this is the evening/night of that day.  
> This is a longer chapter than previous ones, so I hope you’ll enjoy! I’ve been trying to make them longer since that’s the advice that’s been given to me.  
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Naruto.

Hinata dodged the attempt that Neji made to touch her arm, knowing that the slightest brush of his hand would be deadly. He jumped backwards and made another move to make contact with her stomach and Hinata lurched away to avoid it, swinging her leg in a roundhouse kick to hit his side. Neji danced away from her reach, and they both slid back and took defensive stances on opposite ends of the training grounds. They were panting from exertion, yet still the same resolve seemed to glow from their eyes as they measured each other with their eyes. They were both determined to win.

Hizashi regarded them both in amusement from the sidelines, recalling how Hiashi and he had done the same when they were children. The sun marked the training grounds in a flood of streaks of red and orange, smiling down on the pure children that were sparring, in a compound full of members that had hardened into shinobi with cold eyes and cold hearts. As Hizashi noticed this, he decided that it was time to retire for the night.

“Hinata-sama, Neji, it is time to go back. That was a good fight, you have both improved.” Neji broke out of his stance and grinned, running to his father with Hanabi a step behind. Noticing Hinata wasn’t following him, Neji called out, “Hinata-sama, come inside!” Said person was still standing in the same spot as before, her head downcast as her brows furrowed in a rare show of frustration. At her nii-san’s call, her head snapped back up, and with a feeble smile she approached them.

“Ah, Uncle Hizashi, can I p-please go train o-on my own? I w-won’t be far, just my usual training grounds to practice. O-oh! I promise that I-I won’t stay out too long!” Hinata asked, shuffling her foot on the ground and poking her index fingers together.

“Hinata-sama, you must promise to be careful, and if you don’t take a guard with you I want to be back by 9pm at the latest. If not, then we will send out a search party. I will alert your father now.” Hizashi replied, turning to do as he said he would. Although the thought made him uncomfortable, especially with past events, he could not deny his niece’s desire to prove herself. It was understandable and reminded him of when he was younger. Neji and Hanabi said their goodbyes, urging Hinata to be back soon.

So with that, after her normal routine, she set out to her favourite training grounds, which were a little far towards the edge of the village that people rarely used, allowing her to train secretly and away from any distractions. Once she got there, she started to do her _kata_ and meditate, before resuming her stance once again to practice her _Juken_. At this, her Byakugan activated and she proceeded to use her _Juken_ on the training post.

She gritted her teeth as she forced her hands into submission, thinking fiercely about her father’s words. _Below expectations. Your sister and cousin are far above you. Birthright in jeopardy._ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 harsh blows to the wood. _Failure. Weak._ 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 more strikes. Hinata’s hits grew in speed and fury as she continued her attacks, deaf and blind to the sounds she made under the light of the moon and the blistering state of her hands.

* * *

Itachi had just returned from giving his report to the Hokage and decided to head home as the moon’s silver glow settled on his figure. As he walked past the familiar streets of Konoha, which countless shinobi had sacrificed their lives to protect, it started to rain.

Deciding that the night was still young, he jumped onto a nearby rooftop and sat down. He looked up as the rain poured, sliding down his face like tears, simultaneously washing away his tumultuous thoughts and the dirt gathered on his clothes. When he gazed up at the dark grey clouds and registered the now faint radiance of the moon, his thoughts swerved to a girl that had the same sparkle in her own moon-like eyes. It reminded him of that night: a silence that promised fated meetings, the rain’s chilling call, the silhouette of a man shrouded on the rooftop, the distant shouts of a name. When she was hiding behind the tree a few days ago was not the first time he had noticed her. No, rather than noticing her, his attention had been seized by another, many years back. It had occurred long ago, and it had also seemed as if that night had never happened if certain coincidences hadn’t taken place throughout this week to drag him back into his memories.

In all the noble clan meetings he had ever been to, she had obediently sat beside her father, gaze nearly always drawn down, yet the rare times he had ever met her eyes, she didn’t seem to recognize him. Clearly, no one had told her of him, or possibly even told her of what had nearly been lost that night. Well, it made sense, there was no legitimate reason to do so. The important thing was that the clans concerned with the matter knew, and that was the end of that. _Yes, it is best that she is unaware that I-_

“Please, stop it!” Itachi’s thoughts came to an abrupt end, and he immediately followed the direction of the voice, leaping over rooftops until he came to his destination. With all the grace of a cat, he dove down into the alleyway and stepped into the shadows.

A young boy, scrawny and dirty, was pushed up against the wall, half-hidden by the bags of garbage. Three other boys with menacing expressions on their faces crept closer to him and the one in the middle, _the leader_ , Itachi’s mind supplied, crooned towards his victim, “Oooh, where’s your mummy now huh? Didn’t she tell you not to steal from others?” The bulky boy swiped down and tugged at an old wallet clutched in the smaller boy’s hands, ignoring his cries of protest.

“No, I promise I didn’t steal anything! Please, give it back Mito! It’s important!” With that proclamation, the victim launched himself and caught the arm of Mito with his mouth, sinking his teeth into it. A howl escaped from Mito as he wrenched his arm back, miraculously still having possession of the wallet. The other two boys scowled, gripping their hands into fists. Before they could take any action though, Mito reeled back his unbitten arm and propelled it forward, yelling as he prepared to punch the brat that hurt him, “You worthless piece of trash! You don’t belong here!”

The accused closed his eyes, succumbing to his fate.

Itachi decided that this had gone on long enough, and appeared before the charging fist, clasping it in his hand. Mito eyes widened as the boys either side of him gawped. The boy protected by Itachi blinked up at him, disbelieving that he had a savior.

Mito seemed to come out of his daze first, trying to pull his arm from Itachi’s grip as he threatened, “Look, buddy, scram before I beat you too!” In response, Itachi’s hand tightened around his. The boy flinched, wincing in pain.

 _Who was this?_ He cringed again, as the muscles in his hand twitched from the tight grip that the man in front of him had on his arm. The boy before him was tall, with an emotionless expression on his face, his tied black hair fluttering in the breeze. His eyes arrested his attention the most though, twin pools of obsidian that reflected the moon, piercing him. Mito trembled, hastily letting go of the wallet in his other hand. Dimly, he registered one of his friends, Shiro, tugging at his shirt’s hem.

“H-hey, Mito, we need to go! H-he’s in Anbu.” The evidence was on top of Itachi’s head, in the form of his kitsune mask. Shiro shivered as Itachi gave him a sideways glance. This prompted him to tug more insistently on Mito’s shirt.

“Yeah, and he’s not just any other Anbu either. I-it’s him! He’s _that_ person. Uchiha Itachi!”The other boy exclaimed. He had heard stories about him, numerous, scary and brilliant.

Itachi’s eyes narrowed slightly as his hand fell away from Mito’s fist. It was time to end this. He briefly activated his Sharingan before he gave his simple command.

“Leave.”

The three boys under his gaze simultaneously froze, before jolting as they saw the red flash of his eyes, and then they were gone, sprinting for the hills.

He located the young boy’s wallet, walking over to him and crouching to his level. “Here.” Itachi offered, proffering the wallet to him. The boy meekly took it with a feeble thanks, eyes still downcast.

This wouldn’t do, Itachi had a responsibility to the citizens, and he needed this boy to speak so that he could safely take him home. So he asked him, “What is your name?”

The boy’s head jerked up, startled, as he answered, “Haru.”

Itachi’s eyes widened slightly as he looked at the boy’s face.

* * *

Haru had lived a hard life.

He was an outcast at home and at school, all for something he couldn’t control. His mother came from a noble clan, but was regarded as a traitor for getting pregnant by a foreign ninja. Unfortunately, what little protection their small family could get from his father defending them had been stripped away when he had died recently on a mission.

Due to this, his mother and he had gone back to live with her clan, doing menial chores and holding a poor status because of his parentage.

However, on this day, it was his birthday.

His mother had smiled and secretly given him this wallet that she claimed had belonged to his late father, with a moderate amount of money tucked inside. She had urged him to go to the market to select something for himself, and beaming, he had nodded and set off in the evening.

Of course, as per his nature, Haru decided to buy something for his mother instead, as seeing her happy, made him happy. Once he reached the market place however, the bullies from his school crowded him. _No, not today, any day but today!_

Mito grinned wickedly, as he said, “Hey you, what are you planning to buy huh? You’re dirt poor so how’d you get all that money? You steal it or what?”

“Yeah, there’s no way you could have this lying around!” Shiro sneered as he circled Haru. When Haru looked over at Shiro fearfully, Mito took the opportunity to swipe the wallet from his hands. The boys nudged each other and laughed, pointing to Haru’s downtrodden expression.

 _They took it from me! Just like they took everything else! What can I do though, it’s just me against those three._ A brief flash of his mother’s face flashed through his mind’s eye. _No, they don’t get to do this to me. I did nothing wrong. Besides, it’s for my mum!_

Haru resolutely gritted his teeth, his hands clenching into fists as his eyes sparked. Using the techniques he had learned from the academy, he pushed his left foot back, and then he _lunged_. Swiftly retaining his possession, he retreated. The other boys were unaware of what had just happened; only realizing when a cloud of dust settled in his wake. Then, the chase was on.

Unfortunately for Haru, although he was fast, he was frail from hunger and didn’t have much stamina, whereas the other boys did. So, as evening turned to night, he was cornered in an alley and shoved into the wall. He tried to fight back, but his punches were too weak, his dodges too slow, and his cries for help too quiet.

So, when he braced himself to be punched for perhaps the last time before he lost all consciousness, he couldn’t stop himself from blinking in disbelief as a lone, dark figure emerged from the shadows to stop Mito. Haru had only thought these types of people existed in comics that he had taken glimpses at from behind his classmates’ shoulders as they read. Yet there he was, in the flesh, a silent but deadly person who had appeared like a warrior to thwart injustice. He had heard of him, of course, who hadn’t? Itachi Uchiha, the prodigy, the person adults praised and who children aspired to be. But never had Haru thought that anyone would care to help him, an _illegitimate brat_.

Thus, Haru could only look up in awe as the bullies left from a single word from Itachi. He was stunned speechless as Itachi gave him his wallet back and could only mutter his gratitude. When Itachi asked for his name though, that gave him by far the biggest shock. No one had wanted to know his name before! They always just referred to him as ‘the boy’ or something more vile. Haru decided that this person had earned his respect, saving him and asking for his name (his name!) and that he really should make eye contact.

So he pulled his head up, gazing up at the stoic face of his savior and replying, “Haru.”

* * *

Itachi averted his gaze as he saw the tell-tale signs of admiration gleaming in the boy’s eyes. _Haru’s eyes,_ his mind corrected. Yes, so similar to the way Sasuke looked at him, with one major difference. Whereas Sasuke’s eyes were coal black, this boy’s eyes were the opposite.

_He had white Hyuuga eyes._

He drew back from his thoughts and stared at the green Branch seal on Haru’s forehead instead as he said, “I’ll take you back to the Hyuuga compound.”

He stood up fluidly, heading out of the alleyway, coolly looking behind him as Haru stumbled after him, catching up to walk by his side. The boy was needlessly fidgeting with his shirt, looking at the ground then looking back up at him. Itachi inwardly sighed. “Ask your question.”

Haru jumped and stared at him. “Oh, um, mister, how’d you get so fast? I didn’t even see you move when you stopped Mito!”

Itachi blinked. That was nowhere near his maximum speed, and this boy thought that was _fast?_ So he simply replied, “Training.”

“I see.” Haru smiled at him, a pause, then, “How did you hear me? No one else did.”

“Training.” Itachi repeated.

“What type of training?” Haru insisted. He would not be deterred! He badly wanted to know more about his savior.

“You rely on your other senses. Most shinobi, especially dojutsu users, rely far too heavily on their sight, so it is important to lessen dependence on our eyes.” Itachi explained.

And so this line of questioning continued from Haru’s end, with Itachi patiently giving him short answers.

They finally arrived near the Hyuuga compound and came to a stop. Before Itachi could leave though, a small hand pulled on his finger. Haru nervously looked up at him and said, “Mister, I mean, Uchiha-sama, thank you very much for helping me.” Haru bowed low, too low, in Itachi’s opinion, and Itachi only responded with a vague “Hm.” Still, even with this, Haru beamed at him, and seemed to almost skip to the Hyuuga gates as the guards let him in. Itachi nodded at Haru as he waved goodbye, and again to the guards as they bowed towards him.

Finally heading home, he pondered on the night’s events. This was yet another coincidence added to the list that led him back to the Hyuuga Clan, and more importantly linked to the heiress.

As he passed by the training grounds close to the isolated Uchiha compound, he detected soft pants and the sounds of something slamming onto something else. Was it another Uchiha? It was nearly 8pm, generally a quiet time where people took a break from training. Led again by his ears, he followed the sounds through the trees into the training grounds, only to stop before the object of his thoughts. She turned around hastily as she sensed his presence.

Apparently, his night was not over yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kata- a system of individual training exercises used in martial arts  
> Juken-Gentle Fist  
> Dojutsu- ninjas who have kekkai genkai based on their eyes  
> Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it. Kudos and comments make my day


	4. Of Cats and Mice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Hinata was still training, losing track of the time. It still was _not_ _enough_. She needed to get stronger, faster. Her match with Neji, although reaching a stalemate, didn’t satisfy her. She knew that she would have lost if it had gone on for even a short while longer. However, she would keep her promise to her uncle, and she was certain that it was not time to return yet.

In moments like this, Hinata would always recall the hazy memories of her mother and her vague smiles. Although her mother’s figure would be obscure, she could recall the words she said to her instantly, in her soft but firm voice. _Always rise above adversity Hinata, even when the odds are stacked against you._ She used it as her motto, every time the Elders would belittle her, every time she would glimpse her father’s disappointed stare, every time she would be defeated in a spar against her relatives.

With her renewed vigour, she continued to train relentlessly, as she thought of her other form of inspiration, that of a small blonde blue-eyed boy who would always brightly grin, even when it seemed the whole class was against him. Hinata never understood how he could always get up again and again, but she could definitely admire it. He was someone who would always add fuel to her fire to be a better kunoichi, and she felt like that fact would never change.

She panted as she struck the training post with finality. Suddenly, there was a figure heading towards from behind. Even with her Byakugan, she couldn’t make the figure out clearly, so she quickly, albeit clumsily, turned around to face who could, perhaps, be her enemy.

She recognized that face, she had seen it plenty of times in clan meetings. Staring at her with an inscrutable look on his face, was the face of Itachi Uchiha.

He was still in Anbu uniform, with his mask still on his head, looking the part of someone who had pledged his life to the village with his life. And he undoubtedly had, yet Hinata couldn’t stop her shivers as she looked at his unblinking eyes.

She reminded him of a mouse; he mused, as he glanced down at the small slip of a girl who trembled under his gaze. He reminded her of a cat; she thought, as she cautiously peered at his tall looming form. 

They stood like that for what seemed an eternity, but were in reality only a few seconds.

The rain stopped.

Itachi decided to break the silence, since it was unbecoming to keep up their actions.

“Hyuuga-san. Good evening.” Itachi gave a small incline of his head towards her.

“G-good evening, U-uchiha-san.” Hinata scrambled to bow, and again, like the previous Hyuuga child he had met, it was too low, especially considering her status as the heiress.

Her stammering caused Itachi a little confusion, as a heiress should be more confident. He discarded his thoughts in favour of asking her why she was there.

Hesitantly, Hinata replied, “U-um, I-I like to t-train here a-alone sometimes t-to improve myself.”

Itachi nodded slightly. Then, an awkward silence descended, forcing them into becoming mute for the next couple of minutes. She seemed to be terrified, and seemed to perfectly replicate the image in his mind of a mouse, scampering to get away as her now inactivated eyes darted around the clearing, never once meeting his eyes. He couldn’t help but have a little sympathy for her, what with her desire being so similar to his little brother, so his next words sealed his actions.

“Do you want to spar with me?”

Hinata blinked, then blinked again.

“E-excuse me? D-did you just ask to train with me, U-uchiha-san?”

“Yes.”

Hinata didn’t know whether to be horrified or happy. Here was a strong shinobi, so strong that even the Elders acknowledged him to be one of the best shinobi in generations, even though they accepted this fact grudgingly, who had asked to train with _her_ of all people. She would definitely improve in some way if she trained with him just this once. However, he was also so very _scary_ , and what if he got angry at how weak she was? Then she’d also be known to her rival clan’s heir as a failure, looking even more pathetic in the face of his innumerable accomplishments.

Secretly though, Hinata knew her decision from the start. After all, one didn’t get an opportunity like this very often and Uchiha Itachi was a very busy ninja. So, with hope blooming in her chest, she let it grow as Hinata couldn’t bring herself to crush it.

“A-alright, Uchiha-san.” Hinata went into her stance as she furthered her distance from him, preparing her defence for his attack.

Itachi stayed still as he surveyed her, acknowledging her reply with his response: “Let’s test your taijutsu first.”

* * *

Elsewhere, as his daughter got more energised, Hiashi got more tired.

Suppressing his sigh, he glanced to his left and Hizashi gave him a ghost of a smile as they both subjected themselves to the uncanny cacophony of their clan.

“She’s too weak! How can we trust that she will rise to her position if she continues like this?”

“Yes, no progress has been shown from her part, so is there really any hope?”

Hiashi didn’t think he could continue to hear the same thing repeated again and again. He didn’t think Hizashi was enjoying it either.

“Silence.” He was immediately granted with his wish, and he inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. Simultaneously, eerie white eyes around the room turned to look at their Clan Leader. The Elders’ previously disgruntled expressions morphed into the cold Hyuuga mask, and Hiashi didn’t think he would ever be able to be accustomed to it. None of the Elders looked to the the person sitting on his left.

It was no secret that they didn’t approve of Hizashi sitting in on these meetings, and Hiashi would never allow for it to be otherwise. He wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.

“I understand that many of you are, perhaps, dissatisfied with the heiress, however, she is still but a child. There are many more years for her to show her potential.” Hiashi presented his argument, as he stared back at his clan members.

Hizashi tried to conceal his disgust for his clan members, clearly seeing how their postures would tense when he met their eyes. He admitted that perhaps his niece wasn’t as strong as her sister or his son, at least physically, but why couldn’t they see that her character and her Will of Fire was burning through her veins? She was dedicated and loyal, her mind was strong and her decisions sound. Hinata was what this clan needed so desperately in their leader, a breath of fresh air in a compound stifled with the suffocating silence of suspicion and competition.

It was ironic to him that, for a clan with all-seeing eyes, they were blind.

“I think Hanabi would be better as the heiress. She shows much promise.” An elderly woman declared. She looked frail, but she was the embodiment of the saying ‘looks can be deceiving.’

“I agree.” The agreements seemed to pile up on each other, coming in quick succession from all the Elders.

Hiashi nearly did sigh this time. It was only fitting that his Grandmother, Hanabi’s biggest advocate and consequently Hinata’s biggest opposition, would choose now to gather support for taking Hinata out of her position by using Hanabi as the appealing replacement.

“Haniko-sama, unless you want Hinata-sama to get the Branch seal, there is no way to do this.” Hizashi interjected, and Hiashi tried not to look in his direction, as it could be taken as a sign of his support.

“Oh, but I’m sure there could be a way, dear Hizashi.” Haniko’s sharp gaze narrowed as she scrutinised the two brothers. As her lips curved into what seemed like a benign smile, both of them felt dread settle into the pit of their stomach, reminiscent of their childhood days.

Whatever she was scheming, it seemed that the Hyuuga heiress didn’t stand a chance.

* * *

Apart from attacking that one time to initiate the spar, Itachi hadn’t attempted to attack whatsoever. As soon as Hinata got close to brushing his hand, he seemed to slip out of her reach. It honestly seemed like he was taunting her, just like how a cat plays with a mouse. This only caused her eyes to flare even more, as she forced her hands to go faster, her feet beating an even more furious rhythm on the ground as she tried to get closer. She grunted as she was pushed back by Itachi firmly as he gave a punch to her chest, not hard enough to bruise, but enough to capture her attention.

Itachi contemplated her as she continued her attacks. Her attacks weren’t _bad,_ per se, but rather she was only fuelling her frustration at him, and wasn’t properly aware of her surroundings, focusing on only one target. He had attacked her first to start the spar, as she seemed the type to just wait, and, although it was commendable, it wouldn’t help on the battlefield, especially with her _Juken_ that needed to be in close range to the enemy. He had only proceeded to dodge then, trying to gauge her posture and fighting style. After that, he gave her openings even as he pushed her back, to try and attempt to hit him. She didn’t see them. She had lost her composure and was now only becoming even more visibly aggravated at his every dodge.

She couldn’t seem to hit him. She tried, again and again, yet they were all easily evaded. Why was he so hard to land a hit on? She didn’t understand. And it was due to this lack of understanding that she so soundly lost. She kept repeating her actions, her attacks now getting sloppier, so much so that she didn’t even see him move as he swept her feet out from under her.

She fell flat on her back, staring at the sky as the rain faded out and the clouds departed. She had lost. She was soundly defeated, she had no dignity left, she gave it her all, yet, she failed. _Again._ This reoccurring sequence of events was tiring her, so instead she looked up at the sky, hands clenched into fists and angry tears threatening to spill from the corner of her eyes.

“You have lost but you have not yet been defeated.” Itachi stated coolly, as he saw her displaying her annoyance clearly in her body language. He knew she had potential stored in that tiny body of hers, however, he also knew she needed to vent her anger in a different way. He had heard rumours of her weakness, seen her cower under her father’s gaze before, but her persistence to better herself as a kunoichi was admirable, and he was sure this trait would lead her to surpass all expectations that were thrust upon her.

Hinata shot up, her fingers biting even harder into her palms. “Yes I have!” How could he even think to say that? She knew he would against her with no problems, afterall, she was nothing compared to his renown prowess but she didn’t even get close to making contact with him! Was he mocking her? And just when she was starting to feel hopeful that not everyone thought she was a disgrace.

Itachi was somewhat surprised by her lack of stutter, and he inwardly gave a small smile of approval, as he saw her glowing white eyes blazing in righteous fury. He had seen flashes of it before in their fight, at the beginning when she saw the obvious openings he had left for her to use and nearly managed to hit him. _Apparently the mouse was fierce._ Now if only she could learn to channel that properly.

“No Hyuuga-san, you just need to control your emotions, and use them to help you fight.”

“B-but, Iruka-sensei s-said that the f-first rule of shinobi is that they should lose their emotions,” Hinata said, staring at the ground. So he wasn’t mocking her? But she still didn’t understand his point. She sat up as he spoke again.

“The academy is not wrong to teach you that. However, shinobi are human first. We cannot lose our emotions, but we can learn to control them and use them to our advantage in our missions.”

“B-but, aren’t you considered weak if you have them?” Hinata looked up imploringly as Itachi crouched down to her height. _H-he’s so close!_ She thought, as he faced her stare head on, unwavering in his resolve to help her understand.

“No, it is how you use them that matters most.” Hinata was startled at the conviction in his voice, and so she evaded his eyes. Itachi knew then that she was not ready to accept his words, so he would wait and repeat them back to her when she was, since it was his duty to protect Konoha and help everyone in it. And if he was honest with himself, he was curious about her.

Hinata felt ashamed as a tense silence fell between them. Here was Uchiha Itachi, giving her advice so nicely, and she couldn’t even face him! She didn’t want to act like a coward, but she just couldn’t bring herself to accept his words, at least not yet. She had been told too often that emotions hindered one’s ability to fight, and so she would try harder to find the inevitable wisdom behind his words.

“S-so that m-means I didn’t fail? I-I didn’t f-fail in our spar?” The question was burning inside her, and as humiliating as it was, she needed to know, especially with Uchiha-san being her opponent. She wanted a direct answer, so she faced him and looked into his eyes again.

Itachi didn’t think that Hinata realised it, but she had subconsciously let out a burst of chakra when she asked her question. Her lavender tinted eyes glowed in her passion and Itachi realised he couldn’t tell her anything but the truth.

“No. You have potential.”

Hinata beamed, her face lit up in glee. Uchiha-san thought that she had a future as a shinobi! She had only just met him, but she was pleased. He was a kind person, not at all what she had expected from someone so out of her reach, his abilities reaching far and wide across the hidden villages.

Itachi was again inwardly startled, as twice in one night, two Hyuuga children had so easily imitated an Uchiha one. The heiress’ face showed an infused joy that Sasuke reflected on his own face when he was spared a rare compliment from their father. It made him feel that nostalgic type of fondness that he only ever felt for his brother. He stopped himself from lifting his arm to poke her on the forehead, and instead raised his hand and hesitantly put it on her head. His mother told him that he needed to treat women with respect, and somehow he didn’t think that poking her like he did to Sasuke would show any appreciation from her end.

He patted her head twice, noting how silky her hair was in comparison to his brother’s rugged locks. He left his hand there as he met Hinata’s eyes, which seemed to encompass the size of the sun with how wide they were, matching the size of her brilliant red blush that seemed to swallow her face. Hinata could only be thankful that the darkness of the night sky obscured the severity of her flush.

There was another silence, as they both seemed to reach a quiet understanding in the shadows of the training grounds.

Then Itachi broke eye contact as he removed his hand, and fluidly stood up from his crouched position, with a grace that Hinata couldn’t help but envy.

At that moment, the dark clouds parted from the moon, highlighting Itachi’s figure. He was dressed in his Anbu gear, and his black hair and black eyes gave him a sharp look. His effortless elegance and his flowing movements only served to cement Hinata’s thoughts. _He’s like a black panther, a predator that is somehow refined and regal._

And as Itachi turned away to lead another Hyuuga home for the second time that day, Hinata couldn’t help but have a nagging sensation tug in her mind that she had seen him in the same position on a night like this before (a long time ago). 

* * *

In the privacy of her bedroom, the heiress curled herself further into a ball in her bed.

She put her palms to her cheeks, aware that she was still blushing. She doubted it would fade anytime soon, especially with her replaying all of the night’s events. Hinata knew that she had gotten a privilege that scarcely anyone had before, and she was certain that the noble clan heiresses that she had seen obsess over the prodigy would either never speak to her again, or would never stop speaking to her to ask about him.

He was a shinobi shrouded in mystery, a legend that was intangible, and a far-fetched dream to people like her. And yet, she had seen him, spoken to him, sparred with him. For all his reputation and the rumours that surrounded him, he was kind to her, even when he knew she was the weak Hinata. She’d never forget his act of kindness, even if she never met him again. He’d encouraged her when he didn’t even know her, with a poignant sincerity that even her most precious relatives couldn’t muster.

Hinata giggled lightly to herself as she touched her head, remembering the way he awkwardly patted her head.

That led her to thinking about what he had on his own head, not that she would ever dare to reciprocate his actions. It was his Anbu kitsune mask, and everyone knew that kitsune were mischievous creatures. Thus, Hinata came to her profound conclusion, giggling again as she drifted off to sleep.

_It didn’t suit him at all._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Please drop a review if you’d like.  
> Also, I recommend you check out Mother Knows Best (revised) by Silver_storm13, it's really good!

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfiction, so please read and maybe drop a review if you'd like, thank you!


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